


than the water of the womb

by birdhymns



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Edelgard would have but Lys took her turn and would have taken everyone else's, Gen, Lysithea goes feral, Nonbinary My Unit | Byleth, as is going feral over your fellow trauma sharer getting hurt, i wrote this as gen but lbh dismantling the aristocracy is peak romantic activity, i'm saying there's hints but I don't know how much because i'm big demisexual folks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21542803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdhymns/pseuds/birdhymns
Summary: As quietly as Edelgard wishes to not be emperor, sometimes she forgets that people don't always see her as one, and simply see her as someone cared for.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & Lysithea von Ordelia, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 64





	than the water of the womb

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hamha_S](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Hamha_S).



As Byleth calls out they've gotten the bandits' leader and the remainder are fleeing now, they share tired-but-victorious smiles over surviving another day. Caspar claps Linhardt's and Sylvain's backs. Dorothea offers her hand to Bernadetta to heal her wounds. Edelgard turns to ask Lysithea how she's doing, examining a long scratch in her brow that's forced Lysithea's left eye shut.

It's all a mistake.

A short whistle and a dull thump, and Edelgard falls to her knee wide-eyed, one hand bracing against the dirt, the other fumbling weakly at the arrow that's struck her chest. Her breath flounders in her mouth and throat.

They crack into motion. Dorothea screams for Linhardt to help and without protest he falls in beside her, their hands raised to heal when they reach Edelgard's side. Petra is with them in an instant, giving clear, sharp advice on how to deal with the arrow and what they'll have to heal first. Caspar and Bernadetta fall back to give them space, shock—and fright in the latter's case—clear, but they join Hubert and scan their surroundings for any other potential threats.

And Lysithea howls wordless, magic circle whirling to life as she whips around. Its sangrian light throws her face into sharp relief. An image of the moon gleams over where the arrow came from, then goes black, the world near pulled around that void before it explodes. There's a distant cry of pain that peters to nothing. Dead. But Lysithea surges forward, apathetic to the blood still dripping off her face. Residual magic coalesces around her, wisps of fog and fury.

Byleth reaches out and catches her with their forearm, head shaking fractionally when her eyes snap to them. "Let them run. We have other matters to worry about."

Lysithea's expression darkens. For a moment, it seems she might argue, but Hubert's voice cuts them off, drawing their attention behind them. "Lady Edelgard, you shouldn't strain yourself."

Edelgard braces herself with her axe and pushes herself up. All the blood's drained from her face, but there's the familiar stubborn set to her jaw when she meets Hubert's eyes. "I'm fine, Hubert. Dorothea and Linhardt have good healing magic." The declaration's impressive—until she tilts forward dangerously, and Hubert catches her.

"Hubert is right, Edelgard." Petra motions to where the arrow was. "Even if the wound is closed, such a strike like that will have your body reacting still. We should return to the Monastery with no wait."

With a shaky smile, Dorothea brushes her hair behind her ear. "We'd feel a lot better knowing Manuela took a look at you. Humour us, Edie."

Byleth adds in their ever-practical tone, layered with that particular certainty that comes through their orders occasionally, "If we stay here longer, I can't guarantee Lysithea won't try to chase the remainder down."

All eyes go to Lysithea at that. Edelgard, who had looked increasingly resigned but accepting, regains some of her usual keen gaze. "You're still bleeding."

Lysithea huffs, hand waving before her as if to dissipate all the attention. "Oh, it's a facial wound, I'm fine! They always bleed a lot."

"Still no state to chase already-cowed bandits," Byleth comments, "Dorothea, if you'd tend to the wound? We should start heading back."

"Of course, Professor." Dorothea reaches, magic already gathering before she wipes the wound away, leaving Lysithea free to dab the blood on her face away and open her eyes. Dorothea asks as they follow the Professor away, "Would you have really chased down the bandits?"

Lysithea shrugs, eyes set on the path before them, marching forward. "Maybe. Who knows?"

Dorothea takes stock of the rigidity Lysithea can't quite shake from her walk, and puts her arm around her.

She remains silent, and so does Lysithea. But the latter does slow, a fraction of her intensity shaded. She remains beside Dorothea until they reach the monastery and hand Edelgard over to Manuela's care, at which point Lysithea murmurs she wants to check for a few books in the library, and she slips away from the others as they disperse.

Glancing at Byleth, Dorothea lingers and asks, "Should one of us stay with her?"

Byleth considers Lysithea's retreating form, then shakes their head. "I'll keep an eye on her. But for the moment I think she just needs for it to settle that we're all alright. For now, everyone should rest. A day or two to rest should be fine." 

"Longer for Edie, I hope."

"Of course."

* * *

Edelgard doesn't grumble. Externally. And internally she does try to distract herself with some light practice. But she finds her eyes and attention drifting time and again towards the monastery gates. It'd been strange waking up that morning to find her classmates gone, having head out early to fight again today. She's become acclimated to their proximity. It stirs restlessness through her still, and when she finds herself no more at ease despite intense spars with some practicing knights, she gives up and heads outside the gates with a book.

It's an ideal time, clouds billowing tall against brilliant blue, the wind pushing them along gentle and cool against Edelgard's skin, lifting fatigue from her shoulders. Taking a moment, she breathes it all in, before she settles down beneath a willow. The long thin branches break up her view of the monastery gates, just enough to leave her with a sense of simultaneous freedom and connection. She never tires of the outdoors.

She's halfway through another chapter when something brushes up against her attention. At first she ignores it, but it grows louder, more insistent. She looks up with a small frown, and clarity clatters into place as her eyes land on an approaching shape.

Lysithea's calling her name.

"I thought you were gone with the others," is the first thing Edelgard says after Lysithea spots her and joins her—at Edelgard's insistence—in sitting under the tree. There are dark circles under her eyes, and Edelgard doesn't want to her to strain herself more than she must.

"I asked Byleth if I could stay behind for today, and they agreed." She glances at Edelgard, a small smile pressed into the corner of her mouth. "Hubert also... suggested, that if anything happened to you, he was going to hold me partially responsible. So I thought I should keep an eye out for you too."

Edelgard grimaces. "Apologies."

Lysithea waves a hand dismissively. "I understand. Everyone was worried. It's why you stayed behind isn't it? Even though Manuela already examined you."

"It wouldn't have been wise to distract them with undue worry. But you knew that."

A tilt of her head in acknowledgment, though she keeps her eyes on Edelgard's face. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Truth be told, there wasn't much for Manuela to do, other than giving advice on dealing with the shock." Lysithea's mouth purses, somehow displeased with the answer. Sensing a brewing storm, Edelgard shifts the topic. "How are you?" 

The frown on Lysithea's face vanishes as she blinks owlishly. "I—How am I?"

"Dorothea gave me the details when Manuela examined me. Chasing after bandits without any support? That would have been a dangerous plan, if it could even be called a plan."

Lysithea looks away, easing a slow breath out. "I was angry, of course."

"It's not like you to act so recklessly."

Her eyes flash, and Lysithea twists onto her knees to face Edelgard fully, one hand grabbing a fistful of her red cloak. Edelgard can only blink. "Do _not_ admonish me, not now, not on this. You nearly died. How can you just act like nothing happened? How do you expect us to be fine with this? Expect _me_ to, when you're the one person who understands—" She reins in her words, gaze dropping to Edelgard's chest, and ends with, "You've been watching out for me for the same reason, haven't you?"

Comprehension comes slower this time to Edelgard, like a fallen drop of blood blooming in a puddle of water. She lifts one hand slow, and lays it over Lysithea's now-loose fist. They haven't touched the subject since she implied their shared history and let Lysithea, ever the keen mind, work out the rest. "Apologies, again," She speaks low, waits for Lysithea to looks at her before going on, "I didn't intend for it to sound like a lecture. Nor did I realise how much it affected you, you... seemed to have yourself together."

That earns a watery laugh, and Lysithea wipes at her eyes with the back of her free hand. "Well, clearly, I don't."

Edelgard squeezes her hand, in what she hopes is a reassuring manner while she tries to order her words. When they do come, they are slow, plucked and placed with care. "First of all, that is not the only reason I look out for you. It inclined me to you, yes. But it isn't all you are. You work ferociously, you have a keen mind, and you care immensely for others, despite your own burden. I'm blessed, that you decided to join us."

Lysithea flusters, a stark contrast with her fury moments before. Edelgard lets her hand drop back to her side. "We're talking about you right now, not me."

"I wanted to be clear who you are to me. It is related, really. I think the reason I can be calm about it now is because of you and the others. If I'd been panicking, it would have proved even greater distraction. Someone has to keep a cool head, aside from the professor. There's strength to be garnered from them, but..."

"But they'd have the same coolness if the world was falling around their ears, or if the kitchens made their favourite meal." Lysithea smiles. "Yes, that's fair."

Edelgard smiles back at her, before turning a touch more contemplative. "The shock played a part too, I imagine. Dorothea and Linhardt dealt with the actual wound quickly. I don't think I truly processed what happened until well after."

"Fastest I've ever seen Linhardt move, except to escape to the library."

Edelgard chuckles into one gloved hand. "Just so. In any case, I _was_ shaken. But privately, when I was alone. And, well. I'm familiar with compartmentalising panic when I'm alone."

Lysithea lets her next breath out at a measured pace. "That makes sense."

Edelgard nods, before changing the subject again. Lysithea is someone she can bring it up with, but she doesn't like to linger on her own memories, even then. A gradual uncovering, and dealing with it bit by bit, was what she preferred if it did come to light. "You know, if you're ever bothered by your past struggles, the professor knows, something of it. They helped me after a bad night."

"They know?" Lysithea blinks, then sighs, shaking her head. "Nevermind, of course they know. Sometimes it seems like the monastery cats are their eyes and ears. I don't know that anything escapes them in our class."

"I told them, though admittedly more than I initially intended. They're... good at listening, don't you agree?"

"They are." Lysithea's shoulders are back at their usual height, tension bled from her at last. "I wasn't sure they really cared at first, but, they really do, about us learning and... living. Getting what we can out of our time."

Satisfied she's calm again, Edelgard nods in agreement, and pats the ground beside her. "For the moment, would you like to join me in enjoying this book and the weather? I find this sort of setting does wonders for my burdens, personally. I'm sure the professor wouldn't disapprove of us spending our day like this."

Lysithea smiles, fully this time, and Edelgard's struck by a familiar sense of protectiveness—what she would do, she thinks to herself, to keep this young girl happy. She'll have to order some more of those Enbarrian cakes.

That urge is satisfied for the moment, when Lysithea settles down beside, and jokes, "If they did reprimand us, we could just report them for all the fishing they do."

"Ah, but where would our weapon funds come from then?" She's mockingly grave.

They have a long laugh together over that. The sound of it draws over them, washing the last of their worries away. In that moment, there is only that amusement. In that moment, they are just two young girls laughing over the infamous image of their professor staring staidly over the monastery waters, fishing rod in hand.

It is a sound just for them.

* * *

When Byleth finds them hours later, they are fast asleep, Lysithea resting quietly against Edelgard's shoulder, Edelgard's hands in her lap, holding open the book between them. It is the most peaceful that they have seen either student.

They smile to themselves, and wait a little longer to wake them.

**Author's Note:**

> If you got this far, thank you! I hope you enjoyed. This work was inspired by a couple pieces of fanart from Hamha_S on twitter. The piece that really kicked it off was deleted (it was of El and Lys snoozing close together), but Hamha was gracious and gave me the all-green to write this. I will link some other pieces of theirs that shaped this fic:
> 
> https://twitter.com/Hamha_S/status/1171035245648285696 I just really love the dynamics of Lys' pose (all of them but Lys' is the relevant one for this fic)... and her being so ticked off at being called baby, hehehe.
> 
> https://twitter.com/Hamha_S/status/1193868272661196801 Characters going ape is something I value as much as characters getting soft moments.
> 
> There was just a certain... abruptness to their supports-honestly in part because Lysithea is so direct, like the way she cuts to the fact of their hair pigment loss and then of how she feels about Crests? Deliberate attempt to cut through Edelgard's usual veils, but also the amount of subtext and implied time together? Tasty. This fic is a general attempt to put some of that implied space down.
> 
> I'll probably have the update for the Destiny AU up in a few weeks, for anyone paying attention to that. It's the finals project stretch at univ again.
> 
> Hopefully, see you again dear readers!


End file.
